So the Ides of March got me thinking about drama and public betrayals and assassination and nothing says public betrayal like your brother trying to kill you.
…So I was going to write the story of Valerian and Casian and how the Saariman Islands became the Northern and Southern Islands but it turns out I’m still missing a few key details on that so here’s the story of the assassination that started a decades long war instead.
To this day, no one knows who actually had King Joachim killed. Fernandés recounts that one evening as the king was dining with his family - his wife and children, his sister and her children - as well as some of the nobility, King Joachim abruptly stood up and declared they would not take him so easily. The king proceeded to draw his dagger and lash out wildly, swinging at nothing anyone could see, before keeling over onto the roast swan, his dagger clattering to the floor. The court was in an uproar as everyone sought to discover why the king went mad.
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Fernandés tells us that the king’s physician sequestered himself for four days, after which he announced that King Joachim had clearly been poisoned.
Fernandés claims that one of Navignon’s zalger ordered the assassination while he was visiting Asiña. The poison used was distinctly Navignese and only days before the zalger was heard proclaiming disdainfully over Veçinia’s clearly visible criminal elements and how his primager would quickly and violently stamp it out. The zalger then left the country in the days following King Joachim’s death. Additionally, the warlike Navignese had a history of conquering countries they deemed suitable with the last having been some thirty odd years ago.
Nearly a year later, Joachim’s heir, his nephew Edgar, sends Asiñan troops into Navignon, blocking off Navignese access to the sea by building a fortified wall. Nine months later, King Edgar sends his elder brother, Prince José as an emissary to demand reparations from Navignon. He is met by Axiger Yeron, who sends word back to the primager. Axiger Yeron entertains the prince at his estate until Zalger Cantante arrives. After further back and forth, Zalger Cantante takes Prince José hostage. Dramatic escapes are made by several parties and events escalate until Navignon decides to ally with the Fae and turns all its neighbours against them.
“So, like… whyyyy am I even friends with you?” Jenny couldn’t help but, ask. Her way of breaking the slight tension and silence that took over after he said something to annoy her.
“Uh….. teenage rebellion I think.” Janne shrugged. Not bothering to look away from his phone. Not quite wanting to really apologize for going too far but, wanting to ease the tension.
It seemed to work well enough as now she couldn’t help but, smile. It’s not like the statement was really inaccurate. She really did go out of her way to spend time with him since her brother didn’t like him.
“Hmmm. But, that was like…. years ago now. Don’t you think I’ve gown out of that by now?” She sighed. As if everything he said, was law and she had no choice but, to abide by it.
“You are too emotionally invested in me to let me go.” He replied instantly. Not even having to think of his answer. After all they have this back and forth at least every few months or so. Sometimes daily.
“And for you?”
It’s now that he finally looks up from his phone and smiles at her. “Arm candy.”
He was so obvious when he was trying to boost her ego. She could take that for an apology.
As a student of Class 3-E you have been training together to be able to kill your teacher, you have aimed at him with your weapons but everytime has been unsuccessful, still, no matter what happens nor how much times you fail you weren’t going to give up, you will kill him one way or another and with that same determination you have become used to look at him in the eyes and promise that, next time you two see each other it will be the last! and Koro-sensei has always reciprocated the challenge, assuring you that he will be awaiting eagerly for that to happen!
But today as he is surrounded by all his students and pinned against the floor, doing the last roll call as Nagisa’s knife is aimed right above his heart you just can’t hold back the tears, how much you wished things could be diferent, that this wouldn’t be the last time you would see him, and yet, just knowing that he is proud that things end up like this still make you smile because, of course he is, Koro-sensei has always been like that, he is so proud of each one of you
Manny Furious: (an actual, paid, licensed, professional Family Networks Education Recovery Deliminator): ”… but Goku, the protagonist of the series, has been basically of the same personality and character during the nearly 30 years, and more than 600 episodes of the series which consisted of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super (And, perhaps, maybe, Dragon Ball GT, but who knows?). He is still the good-natured, loyal, but oblivious, naive, self-centered dolt he’s always been. On the other hand, the character of Vegeta, the one-time antagonist of the series, but current secondary protagonist, has gone from being a violent, genocidal psychopathic villain, to a genuine family man and defender of life. We must attribute Vegeta’s evolution to his, Vegeta’s, relationships with his wife Bulma, and children, Trunks and Bulla, all of which are supportive and loving relationships with people whom, perhaps most importantly, wholly accept Vegeta for who he is—which is a surly, defensive, insecure, egotistical little man. Paradoxically, however, by accepting such traits, they have slowly worn the edges of those traits, while cultivating the loyalty, friendliness, pride and protectiveness that were also inherent in Vegeta’s character. In short, the character has changed and grown through the dynamics of his personal and intimate relationships. Goku, conversely, is married to Chi Chi who, while not a bad person by any means, does not accept Goku as he is and who is always trying to forcefully change those traits that make him who he is. In response, Goku, as any human, human-like or humanesque creature would, resists the push to change, and thus stagnates as a character and a person.”
Voices. Indiscernible. Muted. The eternal darkness, the infinite silence, interrupted. She held her breath, standing stock still in her moldering tomb. Then, oh great God in heaven! Yes, the tapping. She did not move. Tap-tap-tap went the chisel. As still as she was, she could not help the curling of her lips or the spreading of a smile. Soon, she said to herself. Soon.
The situation wouldn’t be entirely new to Hubert, but for one minor detail - this time, he wouldn’t wake up. It was real. Nothing could be more real than the heat of Ferdinand’s body pressed, than the way he moaned into their kiss, pressing himself closer, always closer.
Hubert managed to pull away just long enough to gasp out ‘bed’. Then there was the clumsy tango as they stumbled backwards through Ferdinand’s room, tugging at each other’s clothes, trying to avoid stray pieces of armour. A Bolganone could go off outside and neither would notice. Or so Hubert thought. It wasn’t a destructive spell that broke through the haze they found themselves in, but a far less poetic, more common sound of metal clattering against the floor.
Ferdinand broke the kiss and squinted. “Hubert, what was that?”
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“Ah, nothing-”
Too late. Ferdinand let go and walked around him to inspect the dagger that came loose in all their fumbling.
Hubert stood there, unsure what to expect. With all the optimism of the ill-informed, his cock was standing too. Both were keenly aware of Ferdinand’s proximity.
“I should have disarmed you first,” Ferdinand teased. He looked over his shoulder and smiled at Hubert, an unexpectedly sly smile that stirred something deep in his chest.
Right. They’d known each other for far longer than they’d liked each other and the presence of a concealed weapon simply wasn’t enough to surprise Ferdinand, let alone scare him off. Hubert’s posture relaxed. “Just set it somewhere, I shall retrieve it… later.”
He sat down on the bed and crossed his legs in a movement that he hoped was alluring. It wasn’t, though it hardly mattered, because Ferdinand was busy examining the weapon.
“Why, Hubert, that is a marvellous piece! How on earth did you get your hands on it?” He began pacing around the room, his attention fully devoted to the object in his hands.
“Why don’t you come closer and-”
Ferdinand interrupted him with a dismissive wave. “For shame, you have not been taking good care of it at all! When did you last condescend to clean it properly?” Dagger still in hand, he started rummaging through his possessions. Hubert wished he’d just plunge it into his chest. It would hurt less.
While Ferdinand laid out his weapon maintenance kit swiftly, he kept pausing to admire the craftsmanship, sharing his delight in a series of shouts and observations that bounced off of the grim figure seated on his bed.
“-now, I truly do not mind sharing some oil with you, but you must promise to stop neglecting your weaponry like that. I shudder to imagine what shape the Arrow of Indra is in, if this is any indication.”
“Ferdinand,” Hubert grumbled, “it isn’t that important. It is only there as a last resort, it’s been used perhaps twice.”
“That is exactly why it is important!” he exclaimed! Then he turned back to Hubert and his expression softened. “It is supposed to keep you safe.”
The silence that spilt between them echoed those words and all they implied. Seconds passed. Hubert stood up and walked over to Ferdinand. He was half-tempted to tilt his face up and kiss him, but instead he simply sat on the floor next to him.
Staying at a motel isn’t something a trainer of Cyrian’s caliber should do, but tonight he wasn’t going to be a trainer.
Harness unblucked to let his tail out and mask left inside one of his luggage bags, he’d also swap out the black vest, fancy shirt and dress pants for a track suit and a special face mask that didn’t need human ears to stay on.
Out of that motel a nameless, masked Uma would walk out carrying a duffle bag with a few supplies and a new change of clothes just in case.
Headed for the public park, he made sure to come out after sundown when there were little to no people around. He even went as far as to avoid the public track, in case there were any late night runners like him. The straight path that went from one end of the park to the other would he enough for him.
The finish line would be marked by the duffle bag he brought, which would be in a spot where he could see if anyone tried to take it. The distance from his starting point to the duffle bag would be about one furlong. No need to take longer distances if he could do multiple runs.
A warmup later with stopwatch in hand, he would mentally count down before starting his run and the timer.
First run he would make a time of 13.2 seconds.
Second run 12.9 seconds.
Third run 13.4 seconds.
Forth run 13.7 seconds.
Fifth run 14.8 seconds.
With how tired and sweaty he got, he figured that the warmup wasn’t enough. He either had to do this more often, which was impossible, or he needed a better warmup routine.
Mental note taken, he took his duffle bag and began to head back to the motel. He thanked his past self for bringing enough water this time.
tags!fem!Naruto x afab!reader, drabble, reader is bicurious, established relationship
thinking of Naruto helping his girlfriend figure herself out with his best jutsu out there!
small little drabble I might turn into a fic eventually !
Your boyfriend, Naruto, had always been eager to please.
Always ready to prove himself to you, to make up for the time he was away from you on missions, to excel your expectations.
Partly because he was terrified of being left, but mostly because that was simply how he showed his love, being at your beck and call and going above and beyond for your requests.
But it still came up as a surprise to you that you were currently in bed, laying under your boyfriend as… A girl ?
Your girlfriend, then ?
You had no clue he’d go this far after you had simply mentioned being a bit bi-curious.
His — or her ? you didn’t even know anymore — lips were pressed against your sucking hickies on your skin, blond hair sprawled out all over you.
You had heard of your boyfriend ‘Sexy jutsu’, of course. But you hadn’t seen it until now, your breath stuck in your throat as you looked at the girl on top of you, breasts feeling very real pressed against yours like this.
You knew he was eager to please, and you also knew he could be a bit possessive with your attention.
What you didn’t expect was for him to go as far as turning himself into a woman to help you figure yourself out.
“No good ?” She asked, batting her lashes at you.
“I… Babe, I don’t know what to say…” You admitted, having a hard time computing this.
You can tell that your boyfriend thought it through, probably spent time researching it, and was really happy with this idea.
Telling you were feeling a bit bi-curious was a passing sentence in a conversation about what the two of you had done romantically and/or sexually in the best, though it seemed your admission didn’t go unnoticed.
“Aww… I thought you’d like it. It’s me ! You’re comfortable with me and… And I’m a girl everywhere !"
You were barely listening.
She was so pretty, plump lips painted in what you recognized to be your very own lipgloss moving, long eyelashes kissing his upper cheek.
Fucking hell. Naruto made a very pretty girl, you couldn’t help but feel your stomach twist in the best way possible at the sight in front of you, your boyfriend momentarily becoming your girlfriend — and being the prettiest girl you’ve ever seen.
"It’s okay I’m not upset… Come here…"
You gently cupped her cheeks, whispering a 'thank you’ before pressing your lips against hers gently, testing it out.
But of course, as good as the job was, that was still your boyfriend in there, gracious, slender hands coming to cup your breasts firmly, moaning against your lips as she pressed up against you more clumsily, seemingly figure out herself how to adjust in this new, lighter and perkier body.
Oh you were about to find out just how much you liked girls… Just in a more unconventional way !
“You have been under my tutelage and care for how long? Oh it matters not… We’ve been together everyday since you saved me.” She remembers her execution. The poison filling her veins. Then her reawakening in this new world.
“You have been by my side, dearest Benefactor.” Soleil, held the fairy in her lap. Thrusting the crystal dildo in her ass up and down, filling Elva with the emotions her soul is missing each time and removing it before she gets too “complete”.
The fairy squirms and moans, sounds muffled by the gag in her mouth. The gag slowly dripping the souls of a random couple Soleil had taken and used their viscera to paint a new landscape for her gallery. The terror and pain they felt, dripping down Elva’s throat, filling her with their final moments and vitality.
“My sister Akane, she goes on and on about love and it’s so cute to let her prattle on about it. I used to think it’s annoying, but I am such a good sister to let her talk about it. Where was I? Yes, love. I think I’m beginning to understand this love.”
Soleil thrusts harder, pushing her strap deeper into Elva’s ass, then grinding her hips to hit all the right places deep inside her.
“You love me too don’t you? Of course you do my Benefactor. How could you not? It’s why I am molding you, training you to be my true protégé.”
It would be quite a while before Elva is returned to the box.
i feel like with sae, he needs a partner thats more nonchalant then him. of course, she needs to have a certain pull, and that doesn’t come without needing him, but i mean a subconscious independent. like he’ll wake up for practice and be tie - ing his laces, and sees you turn and use his side of the bed instead of calling for him. a primal independence where Sae would enhance your life but not be essential to it .I also believe this might be a oldest sibling curse. he doesn’t want someone to take care of, like his little brother. it’d be nice if someone in his life could live without him. and it makes him whipped tbh
Gem backstory drabble for my main au, containing mentions of death, sacrifice, and quantum theory. Please enjoy
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Gem’s first glimpse into the Divine Layer was different than most’s. It was not a benevolent god whisking her from Death’s embrace. Instead, it was a celestial cacophony.
The voice of one thousand scholar’s, the sound of a pen on paper, the light of synapses firing clashed with the bang of a sword against a shield, the glare of a summer day, the entire force of the sun.
The god of Knowledge and the Sun’s Aspect of Protection were warring. They were warring over who got to claim Gem as their own.
Gem did not expect a lot when she died. She had judged hoped she would get to see her brother and friends again, after the Rapture had stolen them from her. When her brother died in the years after the Rapture, she had no more reason to live on. No students to teach, not any people to protect. So she did what no Great Wizard ever wanted to do, and exploded their magic across the Plane. She knew it would cost her life, but figured that liberating the Plane from the ever expanding Corruption was worth it.
There was a chance her soul would have been forever destroyed, but she was ‘fine’ now so that didn’t matter.
“Heya, new-ichor, what’s up?” A voice broke Gem’s train of thought.
To her side (which one she currently could not tell, there were too many dimensions in the Divine Layer… she would think about that later, her ‘head’ was starting to hurt) an angel ‘stood’. Each flap of his white-blue-something wings sounded like the beat of a drum. Shields from all eras, including many she could not recognize, circled his form. Fewer eyes than she expected laid in the ‘center’ of his form, forever shifting in color and size and shape. They must have been everything at once, but the waveform kept collapsing and deciding on a fresh design. There was a vague indent of where a human could be underneath the shifting eyes. It was like that space around it expected on the be there, but there only was a simple piece of paper.
A hand-wing-limb-extension-of-Soul was placed onto where a shoulder would have been if she was on her Plane.
“Welcome up here, homie-buddeh!”
Gem felt her Soul latch on to the Divine Layer. As if she was a puzzle piece slotting into the greater design. Her Soul bubbled as it tried to understand the power that now graced her.
“Your chosen has done something new.” “You have to let Me see what happened!” “You should control that angel of yours…”
The voice of Knowledge spoke in many ways at once. Gem’s thoughts swam as she tried to make sense of what was said.
“Hey! Chill it on the “be-not-afraid” for a sec! She’s still getting used to the fourth dimension,” the angel scolded, “By the way— the name’s Skizz.”
The Sun declared something. Not in a voice, but in her thoughts.
‘Welcome, fledgling,’ Xe said, ‘We know not what One of Mine has done, but you have been graced with Divine Immortality. I trust Skizzrial will help able to guide you.’
The angel, Skizz, seemed to slow its shifting under the watch of Sun.
‘And Skizz,’ the Sun continued, something similar to mirth in Xer tone, ‘Congrats on the promotion.’
As Gem would come to learn, that was the day her patron became the an arch angel.
Arch angels are known for having greater power and a direct connection to their god, however they are not known for granting immortality.
Gem was the first, and currently only, angel created by another angel.
She had no official god to follow, although since Skizz was an angel of Protection, she would always have a sliver of Xer power. She also contained the power of Knowledge, It had found her fascinating and approved of her drive for knowledge. So, It granted her powers in Its name.
An angel of Sun and Knowledge is what she was. And she was the only one.
“Miss Tagawa, just who have you brought to my doorstep?” Asked the stranger Noriko bumped into as she tried to escape this ordeal of a “Coordinator” person inspecting her Soul Gem.
Noriko had not even heard this silver-haired girl approach them, and her senses were always sharp. Was she waiting somewhere in the shadows, or did she arrive shortly after they did?
Regardless, a new Magical Girl stood before her. An older one, well put together with expertly maintained silver hair and sharp blue eyes. At first, it appeared as though she wore extravagant clothing, but on closer inspection, it was obvious that she was already wearing Magical Girl attire. Her blue Soul Gem was affixed perfectly to the ribbon in her hair.
“Miss Mitama!” Yuko Tagawa exclaimed with more excitement than she needed to. Her pink eyes were twinkling as if meeting one of her idols.
The girl Yuko, pink in hair, eyes, even outfit, rushed to Noriko’s side, presumably to be closer to Mitama. “I brought someone new to the city for registration and maybe some help. Her name-”
“I can speak for myself.” Noriko interrupted. She did not like how Yuko was inserting herself in all these affairs, being an uncalled-for mouthpiece. She turned to the silver-haired girl, Mitama, as it were, and offered her form of a respectful bow, a little dip of her head. “Noriko Kimura. I am indeed ‘new’. I came here to avail myself of Kamihama City’s resources for Magical Girls. I require registration, primarily. Yuko Tagawa here insists on a secondary matter that has a very low priority to me.”
“Jeez, could you be any more vague?” Yuko piped up, slightly annoyed. “She can’t hear telepathic messages. Not even the ones we use at the entrances to the city.”
When Yuko and Noriko finished, Mitama answered all she heard with a low hum of affirmation. A “Mm.” She had been silent as she took in all this new information.
She bowed more traditionally to Noriko before speaking again. “It’s nice to meet you, Miss Kimura. I am Mitama Yakumo, a Coordinator here in Kamihama. We are Magical Girl doctors, of a sort. We offer healing and alignment services, and facilitate the registration of new visitors for record-keeping purposes. Please, take a seat.” Mitama motioned to the numerous seats. She moved away from the two girls to go to a backroom. “I’ll prepare us some tea, it won’t take long.” She said, her voice trailing as she left the room.
Yuko happily took a seat on the couch that Ui had been curled up and sleeping on. The little Kyubey was oblivious to all that was going on. Noriko still had moments of disbelief when thinking about it; a Magical Girl using the empty husk of an Incubator to interact with the outside world while being too unwell to do so herself. Ui was the little Kyubey.
There were many seats, and Noriko finally chose one; a single seat, opposite from Yuko. Yuko, the Magical Girl that welcomed her to the city, and pulled her along on this trip to the Coordinator’s shop. Yuko, cheery to a fault, and way too nosey for her own good. Sooner or later, the girl would reveal her true purpose, as a help, or a hinderance.
After a silence that seemed to stretch into an eternity, Mitama emerged from the back room, empty-handled, strangely enough. Wasn’t she supposed to be making something for them? Tea? Not that Noriko wanted it in the first place. She was still contemplating this confusion situation when Mitama seemingly manifested a white cloth and carefully placed it flat on the table in front of them. As she lifted the cloth, a tea platter with four perfectly placed teacups, full of hot tea, appeared from underneath! One for each of them, even Ui, if she wanted to partake.
“Wow!” Yuko awed. She hurried grabbed the teacup closest to her. Noriko did not want to be rude, so she followed suit, grabbing a cup for herself. In the moment her hands made contact with the cup, she felt memories, at least one strong one, emanate from it. She tried to block it out.
Mitama took the remaining cup, immediately having a sip of it as she found a seat for herself. Yuko continued to blow on the tea, attempting to take it down to a more reasonable temperature. Noriko looked down at it before taking a sip herself, only to react with wide eyes and a struggle to swallow. It was hot. Very hot. Not only in temperature, but in… spice?! Why was it spicy?!
It became more obvious that the best course of action was to swallow it. Keeping it in her mouth, moving it from one side to the other, over and over, only seemed to make it worse. She couldn’t even taste it because she was so busy fighting off the intense heat, in both aspects.
“My apologies if it’s not to your liking. I’m a bit of an experimenter.” Mitama clarified, based on Noriko’s expressions. The Coordinator herself did not seem to dislike it, per se. “Green tea mixed with spicy ramen chicken broth!”
Why?!
“Whaaaat??” Yuko asked with shock. At least Noriko had an ally in this, or so she thought. “You used those fire noodles I gave you for this?”
“Indeed I did, thank you again, Miss Tagawa.” Mitama said with gratitude before taking another scalding sip. “It’s flavor profile is most interesting.” Yuko followed suit, making only a slight wince of discomfort as she downed the cursed beverage.
She knew what it was and drank it anyway? What are these people? Noriko thought in shock. She was caught here, does she drink more out of respect, or leave the tea alone out of self-preservation? Luckily, Mitama seemed ready to move the topic along.
“So,” The silver-haired girl started.
“You clearly are a Magical Girl. You wouldn’t be sitting here otherwise. There are barriers at the entrance to this shop that prevent those without a Soul Gem from entering. But you lack the telepathic connection that’s given to us by Kyubey. This might not be as much of a problem as Yuko thinks.” Yuko mouth stood agape as Mitama explained. Perhaps to air out her mouth of all the spicy chicken ramen green tea. “In old times, Kyubey was the only facilitator of Magical Girls, but recently new ones started popping up, with different names, appearances. Perhaps your contractor just does not share that ability. Do you remember their name?”
The Entelechy. But Noriko could not say this. She had collected many Incubators in her time, brought them into The Entelechy’s collective fold, stripped away the limited individualism they had and assimilated them into one mind. Surely, she could pick a name from the many she had met. Designate X-S. Designate R-B. Designate C-M. She decided to reach further back, to one she found in the old Incubator archives. One who never set foot on Earth.
Designate H-C. “Aitchsea.” She answered, confidently and definitively, as she put her teacup down.
Mitama put a finger to her lips. “That’s a new one. Maybe it did not know how to create that mental connection for you.” She took another sip. “It’s a moot point. Unfortunately, we don’t possess the means to apply this ability to a Magical Girl not already bestowed with it. Soul Gem cleansing, weapon restructuring, energy realignment, those are more our purview. If you had the ability and lost it, that’s one thing, but to never have been given it… we’re not that good.”
That was a relief to Noriko. With minimal effort, she wormed her way out of more awkward questions. Her face remained unchanged through Mitama’s speech, but internally she let out a “phew”.
Mitama put her teacup down and stood up. “Although, I will need to see your Soul Gem in its normal state.” Mitama added, crushing Noriko’s short-lived relief. “The little egg-like form.” She added as she tried to make the shape of a Soul Gem with her fingers.
“And why is that?” Noriko asked, concerned. Nervousness was building. Her eyes jumped to Yuko, even to Ui. She analyzed the room, in case things were about to go south. A plan of first strike, a method of escape…
“Standard practice. We have to make sure your Soul Gem’s impurities aren’t too advanced. The last thing we need around here is a Witch, or worse.” Mitama answered, walking over to Noriko. She stood above the girl, a smile not leaving her face. “You don’t seem the trusting type, I respect that, but know we run a reputable business here. I wouldn’t dream of doing something bad.” She tried to reassure. Maybe she saw the color drain from Noriko’s face as the girl tried to figure out a way out of this.
“This place has been around for ages! Through the old Wings of the Magius era, to now.” Yuko vouched. Wings of the Magius… “You can trust her, I promise.”
Noriko stood up, nowhere near on the same height level as Mitama. She closed her eyes, weighing her options, her tactics, her… hopes. Please don’t let this become a slaughter. Please react minimally.
As she opened them, she put her hand out in front of her. The Soul Ring on her finger turned into pure energy, rising above her hand and reconstituting itself in the shape of an egg-like, silver plated, orange gemstone. It, like Noriko, was braced for judgement.
“Woah!” Yuko let out, unable to contain… not amazement, but shock. Mitama similarly, could not contain her surprise. “That is… also new.”
The Soul Gem floated above Noriko’s hand, before she quickly turned it around and grabbed it. If she cared at all about people’s opinions, she’d be embarrassed by their reactions. Instead, she was more worried about what hostilities might come from those reactions.
“As you can see…” Noriko said, turning the gem in her hand before Mitama’s eyes. “Not a speck of impurity. Not an ounce of corruption. I will not become a Witch.”
“I’ve never seen a silver one…” Mitama uttered. “We’ve had many Magical Girls come through here recently, especially since the disappearances. They’ve had many contractors, different from Kyubey, but their gems were the same as we’ve always seen them. This is the first-”
“Well, Aitchsea was… different. The Incubators are cold, but this one’s… coldest. Maybe it made Soul Gems differently. You’d have to ask it, but it’s back in my hometown of… Shimazaki.” Noriko interrupted. She mixed truths with lies. It was easier to be deceptive that way. Her hand closed around her Soul Gem. That was enough show-and-tell for one day. For one life. “Now, are your concerns met?” The gem returned to her ring finger.
Mitama did not seem satisfied, but she was sure this was the best she was going to get from Noriko. “Mmm… I suppose. With all these new Kyubeys popping up… Incubators, as you say, there are bound to be even more deviations in what constitutes a Magical Girl. Our definitions change on a regular basis…” It was clear she had more questions, maybe even more concerns, but she read the room, specifically the brown-haired, brown-eyed part of the room.
“You may pick your jaw up off the floor anytime you like, Yuko Tagawa.” Noriko commented, noticing how slack-jawed Yuko had been for this whole exchange. The girl immediately closed her mouth, her eyebrows scrunching in an obvious show of remorse. “Anyway…” Noriko’s attention turned back to Mitama. She said something before that did not register, until now.
“Disappearances?”
“…You didn’t know? I had assumed that’s why you came to the city…” Mitama seemed distracted, but still present. Mostly.
“Pretend I am ignorant to the current Magical Girl events.” Noriko said, sitting back down in her seat.
“I’m… not sure where to begin.” Mitama tried to compose thoughts, before Yuko stepped in.
“We’ve had plenty of Magical Girls come and go through Kamihama City. The Magia Union tries to keep in contact with them, even when they go back to their homes. But lately, a lot of Magical Girls have been disappearing. We know that when Magical Girls fall to despair, their souls disappear, and their leftover gems turn into Grief Seeds, into Witches. But… this is different. Magical Girls all over are disappearing with no Witch, no trace. The disappearances don’t seem to have a clear pattern. They’re happening all over.”
It seems Noriko’s actions have been… noticed. It was only a matter of time.
Yuko continued. “We think Kyubeys are disappearing too. First new kinds of Kyubeys show up, then they start to poof, along with the girls they contract.”
“And… what do you suppose is causing this? Is there a prevailing theory?” Noriko asked, playing clueless.
“They could be abducting Magical Girls… for study or experimentation or whatever. Like those old alien stories. Area 51 kinda stuff.” Yuko explained. It was a wild theory, one that would have given Noriko a smirk of hilarity, if she did not have to keep a stern face to avoid giving away anything.
Mitama finally found her words again and spoke. “We’ve always had many Magical Girls come through the city. A cult group called the Wings of the Magius enticed some to the city, and after, when they disbanded, we formed the Kamihama Magia Union and tried to turn the city into a beacon of hope. Now we’ve had an excess of girls visit, hoping to find information on a friend from another town they met and lost contact with.”
“A few weeks ago, we set up a spot we call the wall. It’s full of missing people posters and other information.” Yuko added.
She was not used to hearing the results of her actions in such a way. The part of her work that she hated was taking friends away from each other. Many times, a Magical Girl, or group of them, stand between her and the Incubator she’s come to collect. At that point, the confrontation is all but assured, as well as the death sure to follow.
“I’ve lost someone, too.” She muttered. She did not mean to, it just came out, a fact of life she could never hide away from.
“I’m sorry, Noriko.” Yuko said with a frown. Mitama also softened. It was a tragedy becoming more and more common lately.
“…There are a few forms I need to collect to register you with the Magia Union, Miss Kimura. It could take me a while. In the meantime, Miss Tagawa could take you to the wall. If that would help you.” Mitama seemed downtrodden, heavy with all the souls that have come through town, looking for a lost someone.
It was not something Noriko wanted to see, but perhaps it some something she needed to. The less grandiose aspect of her purpose. And, there was a slim, microscopic chance that a missing person picture of her best friend would be there, and it could jog a memory or two… especially an important one. She got up from her seat once again, making her own way out of the Coordinator’s shop, answering with a simple word.
“Okay.”
Yuko was bound to catch up and then lead the way, but Mitama grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her for a moment. “Miss Tagawa.” Mitama said. “Please show some grace to our new friend. Your personalities conflict, and I would rather ask you to show some restraint than ask her to offer more than she is able.” Yuko nodded without a word, prompting Mitama to let go of her. The pink-haired girl followed Noriko out, while Ui started to wake up from her quick space-cat nap. She hopped from her spot to follow Yuko and Noriko.
“Wait, Ui.” Mitama grabbed the little false Kyubey’s attention. Ui walked over to Mitama, who knelt down to be closer to the Incubator’s level.
one time at a track meet in high school, there were a bunch of pretty girls from a rival school who set up a tent on the inside of the track. At one point I stuck my head into the tent and declared:
“this must be the hot girls’ tent.”
oh god.
those poor girls.
damn near 20 years later, I still lose sleep over that one, every two weeks or so.
(MEANWHILE THE ENEMY IS PROBABLY JUST IGNORING THEM IN PLAIN SIGHT FOR THE TIME BEING-)
[[MORE]]
“Alright, you bunch of losers. We are going to be heading towards a Dimensional Lord prison complex. We’re gonna get in there and wreak havoc, put a damper in Golganus’s plans. And if there are prisoners in there who want to join us, then by all means don’t harm them.”
“ARE THERE HOT LADIES IN SKIMPY SLAVE CLOTHES IN THERE~?”
“……Can we please focus here instead of-”
“SCANNING~~! FOCUSING ON HOT LADIES~~!”
“WILL YOU SHUT UP FOR ONE SECOND?! I’M NOT DONE YET-”
“My my~. How cruel of you, Nisroch~. Are you not satisfied with the hot ladies in here~? And by hot ladies, I mean just the one~.”
“She totally means ME, right?! You better say it so or else I will skewer where your eyes are supposed to be!!”
“EXCUSE ME, THIS IS FOR A RESCUE MISSION!!”
“OR FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!! IRRA, HELP ME!!!”
“Nope. I am staying out of this one.”
“GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE NOW AND HELP ME OUT HERE, YA LAZY BUM!!”
taking the garbage out at 11:00pm, trying to open the lid, toss the 40-lbs trash bag in in one try, close the lid and sprint back into the house before the aliens get me…
“Moooooooooooo~~… Ahhhh~… This is the life~… only having to worry about eating and sleeping~… just me and my fellow cows~… I just can’t get enough~…”
“Moooo~? Oh~… It looks like some of my friends have returned from ‘maternity leave’~… Moohohohooo~. Oh, to be a mother~… perhaps I should consider becoming one myself~…?”
“Moooo~… Oh, who am I kidding~? I don’t have a choice in the matter as a cow, yeah~? If my owner wants me to have children, then~… Moooo~… ”
“Ah~… I’m being called for~… I guess it’s time for milking, huh~?”
“Fufufu~… oh, my FAVOURITE part of the day~…”
.
. .
. . .
“……………!?!” Malus instantly sat up in her bed, awakening from the strangest nightmare.
“…………………I should probably have cameras or listening bugs installed. I SWEAR Nii-chi’s trying to do something to me, but I don’t know HOW…”
Growing up on the road meant that Bowie learned pretty early on to fall asleep anywhere and to sleep through anything. So when the greenhouses started burning, Bowie didn’t notice at first, even though their home was within spitting distance of the greenhouses. He was sleeping soundly, his husband not yet back from his shift when all of a sudden Marty McFly, launched on top of him, barking wildly and licking at his face. It wasn’t until the nip on his hand, that Bowie jerked awake, about to yell at the damn dog when he smelt it. “Good boy.” He offered the dog a distracted pat, not feeling like their house was on fire, but… He threw open the balcony doors and stepped out into the cold night air, and immediately choked.
The greenhouses were on fire, the flames already licking the sky, not that it would take much given all the wiring and heating systems. There were already people up from other parts of the ranch trying to figure out what to do. “DON’T FUCKING USE WATER!” Bowie screamed, stepping out onto the balcony, not caring that it was in thirties and he was winnie-the-poohing it. “YOU’RE GONNA FUCKING ELECTROCUTE YOURSELVES AND MAKE IT WORSE.” His voice bellowed as he all but hung over the balcony. “NO WATER. THE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM IS AROUND BACK.” Someone waved a hand in his direction, but started towards the suppression system. That handled, he stumbled back into the bedroom, throwing on pants with one hand while calling the main house with the other. FUCK.
It was hours later when Bowie even got a chance to breathe, let alone think. He was trying to keep his home from burning down. It was hours later, where he was worn the fuck down that he even thought to check his studio. He didn’t know what inspired him to look at his studio. They weren’t necessarily near each other, but he kept flammable shit in there – stuff for welding, painting (paint itself could be toxic as shit), things for glasswork, sculptures, his kiln. His studio could be just as dangerous as the greenhouses. Bowie turned the corner and froze. The door was off its hinges. No one had been over here – no one needed to be.
Bowie’s stomach dropped. “No.” He breathed, standing frozen in place. Fuck. Whatever had happened in there, it was going to look like a horror show. The fire wasn’t an accident. He never really thought it was, but seeing that his studio, his sanctuary, his place of business, had been broken into, it was definitely not an accident. Swallowing, Bowie pushed himself towards the door, and pushed it the rest of the way off its hinges. The sight in front of him was… He stumbled backwards and next thing he knew he was on the ground.
“Bow. Bowie.” Warm hands were on his face. “Baby, I need you to breathe. Can you breathe with me?” Oh, that was Vaughn. When did he get home? Wait, were they outside? Why was he outside – THE STUDIO. He struggled in his husband’s grip, but Vaughn’s arms were tight around him. “You need to breathe, baby. Can you follow my breaths?”
When he was finally coherent again, he grasped desperately at his husband’s coat. “Did you look inside?” He breathed out. “I couldn’t get all the way in. Everything is gone. All of my pieces. My canvases. The stained glass windows I was saving to repurpose. It’s all gone. All of my art. Everything.” He couldn’t even think about the commissioned pieces he lost. His whole fucking livelihood had been in his studio. It was like someone had broken and slashed through his fucking soul. “They were looking for something, and I don’t know if they found it, but…”
“Shh.” Vaughn was rocking him. When had he wound up in his husband’s lap? “Let’s get you into bed, and I’ll look at the rest of the damage. You can rest, and then you can do your favorite thing: bitching and complaining about everything, okay?” Yeah. That sounded like a nice plan. It was with that in mind that he allowed Vaughn to get him into their cabin and onto the couch. He could worry about the clean-up and inventory later. Right now he just needed to pass out and forget that he just lost years and decades worth of work.
